Building material.



ica cowosmous,

' I 0 tion of great economic value, as per accomfrom that of a hickory-nut to awalnut. Thls COATING 0R PLASTIC.

UNITED STATES Examiner.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. DEPEW AND HOLLI E. MCCOY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FORNIA,,ASSIGNORS TO PUMICE STONE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF SAN FRA CISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BUILDING MATERIAL.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLEW and HOLLIS E. MCCOY, citizens o e nit-ed States, residing in the city and county of Sam.

5 Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Building Material, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved arti l0 cle 'of manufacture for use in building construction, and pertains especially to a fireproof composition for tiligg, slabs, fiofilng, 811161 116 like.

0 160 is to provide a substitute for the r; ordinary concrete and artificial stone, especially where a maximum amount of strength and a minimum amount of Weight is required.

Concrete is usually made from a suitable admixture of sand, gravel, broken rock, and ce- 2o ment. While possessing the desired strength,

its excessive weight is greatly against its ex- 4 tensive use for flooring, ceilings, partitions,

and the like in high buildings. We have discovered that certain products which exist in 2 5 a natural state form an excellent substitute for the sand, gravel, and broken rock, and

yet are very much lighter, and when mixed with a proper proportion of Portland cement or othersuitable binder producea composi panying specimen 'entitled Exhibit. A. These products are of volcanic origin and are found at least in certm''afities along the western shores of the western hemisphere 3 5 "and particularly in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California. One of these products is a form of volcanic ash or umice occurring in more or less compact-oil anil solid masses as distinguished from a powder (L or dust. Powdered pumice or pumice-powder pumicezda t will riot'dwbecails t will not combine properl'ywitli tlfiicement which is used as a binder in our composition and which cement is a powder itself. m our Grains we mean a volcanic substance having a specific gravity of approximate? 1.13 and found in a more or less compacts form and used in chunks or 'pi'cesvarying in size, say,

umice is designed to take the place of the broken rock of ordinary concrete. The analy- Application filed February 10, 1905. Serial No. 245,123.

Letters Patent. Patented March 20, 1906.

An. I (22 E263) 9.92per cent. iron 1 oxid, .5212. 2.26 per cent; alkalies, (soda 5 5 and potash) 6.90 per cent. The otheringre-g dient which is employed as a substitute for the sand and gravel of the ordinary concrete is characterized as an extremely light, hard,

cent. al nna,

ing substance, being full of large cells and in appearance suggestive of a vitrified froth or foam and having a specific gravity of approximatel 1.50. This scoria is pulverized to the size 0 the gravel amd used in ordinary concrete and forms a filling for the interstices of the coarse granules or lumps of pumice. When ground, the scoria is dark and exceedingly sharp and resembles eme rfy. Its analysis is as follows: silica, 70.33 per cent. alu- 7c mina, 26.95 per cent. iroIi' oxid, 2.58 per cent.

1ons W1 ain appropriatr; binder, as Portland cement an water to orm our 1m roved Building material, which when allowe to set 7 produces excellent qualities for floors, ceilings, Walls, partitions, slabs, and wherever ordinary concrete could be of value, but where the use of the latter is inhibited by reason of its too great Weight.

The proportions of the several ingredients vary somewhat according to the nature of I the work for which the material is intended. Where extreme strength is required, the proortions of the several constituents, aside om the water to render the mixture sufficiently plastic, will be about as follows, to wit:

two parts umice-stone nut size; one part volcanic scoria ulverizeilone part Port- 50 lang cemgiii or e uivalent Binder. 7

y "nu size is meant the size of the. broken rock used in ordinary concrete and a half screen. 5 For Work not requiring so much strength the proportion of cement may be reduced 3* and that of the ulverized scoriaceous material increased, a though it is not desirable for best results that the roportion of cement be J00 less than onepa to cement to six partspf l.- pgrnice and scoria combined. s The material when in plastic condition may be molded or compressed by appropriate means into any suitable form, as tiles, bricks, I05

sis of pumice is as follows: silica, 70.62 per slabs, panels, or may be used in'bulk for which will generally pass through an inch and silicious, scoriaceous, non-chalky, non-dust- 60 The coarse pumice lum'ps and the pul- T verized scoria are mlxc in sui able proporflooring, partitions, and generally wherever it is now customary to use ordinary concrete, but where greater lightness in the supported structure is required or desirable.

In our concrete the-crushed scoria takes the place of ordinary sand to form the mortar, and the pumice-stone takes the place of the ordinary broken rock and gravel, these ingredients, mixed with the proper portions of Portland cement for a light though semiporous mass, possessing a crushing strength exceeding that of ordinary concrete while weighing less than one half. The great strength is attributed to the large proportion of alumina and the absence of chalky or dustforming substances in the scoriaceous sand which enters into our mortar and forms the basis of. our concrete.

Having thus described ourinvention, what We claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1 A building material consisting of pumice of Volcanic origin and substantially of nut size'aiid contaiiiingsilica, alumina, iron oxid and alkalies in substantially the proportions described, scoria crushed to about the consistency of ordinary sand and containing about twenty-seven per cent. of alumina, and Portland cement.

2. A building material consisting of volcanic pumice of nut size and containing about twenty per cent. of alumina; scoria crushed to about the consistency of ordinary sand and containing about twenty-seven per cent. alumina and Whichwhen ground is of dark color, does not dust or powder, and has sharp edges and angular surfaces; and Portland cement.

8. A building material consisting of volcanic pumice of nut size containing silica and alumina in substantially the proportions described scoria crushed to about the consistency of ordinary sand and containing silica and alumina in about the proportions specified, and Portland cement.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES M. DEPEW. HOLLIS E. MCCOY. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, JEssrE O. BRODIE.)

/ d If 

